Barnert Temple Circle

Social Action Update

Syrian Refugee Crisis, Mitzvah Mall 2016, UnWINED with UnCHAINED, Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation, Family Promise,
M
emories and Materials,  Social Action Drives
Syrian Refugee Advocacy
Information and Action Meeting
Wednesday, October 7,  7:30 pm
Syrian Refugees
Find Out How You Can Make A Difference and Save a Life.
Want to know more about how to help the Syrian refugees?  Join your Barnert Community to learn more about the crisis and how you can make a difference.  For more information, please contact Elizabeth Resnick at resfam@aol.com or Jeff Wild at jwild@lowenstein.com.
Hear The Call.  Be The Call.
The Syrian Refugee Crisis - We Can Make A Difference.  

Syrian Refugees
Four things we can do:

1.  Call the White House at (202) 456-1111.
Script:  "I am calling to urge the President to include 100,000 Syrian Refugees, in addition to the 70,000 other refugees admitted last year, when he issues his Presidential Determination regarding Refugees on September 30."

2.  Call your Senator, House of Representative Members with the following request:  Support increases in refugee funding and legislation that will improve the lives of refugees.

3.  Go to the HIAS website (HIAS.org - look under "Get Involved" on Top Menu) and sign the online petition to President Obama:  "Commit to resettling in the United States 100,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees, allowing more individual and families to start new lives in safety and freedom."

4.  Make a Donation.
  • HIAS - the only Jewish organization whose mission is to assist refugees - whoever they are and wherever they are, through action and advocacy.  HIAS.org
  • IsraAID - is a humanitarian aid agency helping people all over the world and providing millions with vital support for over a decade.  http://www.israaid.co.il/ 
  • Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief (JCDR) - brings together the experience, expertise, and resources of North American Jewish organizations that seek to assist victims of natural or man-made disasters outside of North America on a non-sectarian basis.  http://www.jdc.org/jcdr/
Help Choose Mitzvah Mall 2016 Charities at Vetting and Sorting Session With Sara Losch
September 27, 11 am to 1 pm

Logo - Mitzvah Mall
Let's Pursue Social Justice Together!

Join Team Tzedek for an educational, conversational and motivational experience learning about, vetting and sorting potential Mitzvah mall 2016 charities.  All are welcome!  Bring your iPad, laptop or smart phone to research Web sites.  A light lunch will be served.

Thanks to everyone who submitted their favorite grassroots organizations.  Here's how the process will proceed from here:
  • Sunday, September 27, 11 am - 1 pm:  we'll consider options, evaluate charities according to Mitzvah Mall criteria, sort them into Mitzvot, and prepare for the next step.
  • Sunday, October 11, 11 am - 1 pm:  we'll dig deeper, discuss, and choose three charities for each mitzvah.
  • Annual Tzedek Brunch, Sunday, October 25, 9 - 11 am:  listen, learn, discuss, debate, and choose five of the 10 charities we will support through Mitzvah Mall 2016.  Religious School students will be doing the same thing in their classrooms.  This is a true community-wide endeavor!

Contact us if you need babysitting for any of the above events!

 

Mitzvah Mall 2016 and the Men's Club Pancake Breakfast
Sunday, January 31, from 9 am - Noon!
Our 10 Mitzvot:

Honoring the Elderly
Holocaust
Children's Health
Welcoming the Stranger
Love of Israel
Redeeming the Captive
Feeding the Hungry
Women's Issues
Compassion to Animals
Preserving the Earth



All are welcome, and encouraged, to participate in perpetuating Barnert's culture of giving.  To join Team Tzedek, or just take part in any of the components listed above, contact co-chairs Sue Klein at sueklein0319@gmail.com, Ron Lynn at ronlynnhome@optonline.net, or Eileen Roman at jdroman@verizon.net.
 
"Be quick in performing a minor mitzvah as much as a major one; and flee from transgression, for mitzvah goreret mitzvah, aveirah goreret aveirah, one mitzvah leads to another, and one transgression leads to another."
Pirkei Avot 4:2
UnWINED with UnCHAINED:
Saturday, October 17, 5 - 7 pm
35 Robert Drive, Short Hills, NJ
Unchained
Continue supporting Mitzvah Mall 2014 charity Unchained at Last at a special event. This event will honor Naomi Eisenberger, Executive Director of the Good People Fund (a longtime Mitzvah Mall advisor, partner and participant), and Susan Fleisch, MSW, LCSW.

UnWINED with UnCHAINED:
An evening of good will and great spirits to benefit women and girls fleeing forced marriages.
Wine Tasting, non-alcoholic beverages, hors d'oeuvres, silent auction, live music
$75 per person ($60 tax deductible)
For tickets, or to help sponsor, go to:  http://www.unchainedatlast.org/unwined/.
Hunger Doesn't Take A Vacation
Hunger

Hunger doesn't take the summer off, and for many parents, who work several part-time jobs, summertime is anything but the blissful season we all see portrayed in TV commercials.  Instead, summertime is a season of higher food bills, electric bills, additional childcare costs and high stress. Many of your neighbors will turn to the Center for Food Action this summer in order to put food on their tables.  

You can make a difference!  Food donations are accepted at Barnert Temple, and financial donations can be made to The Center for Food Action by clicking here

 

The Center for Food Action purchases many of the basics that go into emergency food packages - things like peanut butter, soup, pasta and fresh items such as eggs and vegetables - because food donations are just not keeping pace with the need. 

The thought of having a child or a senior citizen or anyone in our area going hungry is unacceptable. Your help is urgently needed to make sure that this doesn't happen. Your gift will help ensure that local families will be able to put food on their tables this summer.

DONATE  today.  Send a check payable to Center for Food Action to:

Center for Food Action

192 West Demarest Avenue

Englewood, New Jersey  07631

Join the Family Promise Day Shelter Volunteer Team
Fam Prom of Berg CtyEach month we send out an email looking for volunteers to sign up for a 2 to 3 hour shift on the second Sunday of the month.

Upcoming dates:  October 11, November 8, December 13.

If you are free - sign up.  No long term commitment needed.  Its great family service opportunity - kids are welcome and many have used this for their Mitzvah Project.  Your role is to just be a presence at the shelter while the regular weekly staff is not working.  There are typically 2 to 4 families in the program.  You may play with the children there, read a story or just chat with the parents.  It is an important and rewarding service that enables working homeless families to have a "home base" where they can spend the day. 
Contact Temple member Donna Meyer at (201) 681-7044 or meymail@me.com for more information or to join the monthly list.
Social Action Drives
We are Always Collecting Food:
 
  Check out the On-Line Option for Donating Food!
Local food pantries are struggling to meet demand.  We're always collecting food in the Atrium, but now you may also donate food through the click of a button.  Click here for our Barnert Temple Food Drive webpage at yougivegoods.com.  It's simple!  Select the food you would like to donate and pay on-line.  All purchases will be delivered to the Center for Food Action in Mahwah.


Winter Coats and Jackets :
We are still collecting for children and adults.  Please donate new or gently used coats and jackets today!  They will be donated to the Paterson community through CUMAC (Center of United Methodist Aid), a 2009 Mitzvah Mall Charity.


Toiletries New Toiletries, Cosmetic Bags, Toiletry Bags:
Center for Hope and Safety (formerly Shelter Our Sisters, a 2002 Mitzvah Mall Charity) still need items.  Full sizes or the small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion and bars of soap from hotels are great!  New cosmetic bags and toiletry bags are needed as well!


Please drop off your contributions in the baskets in the Atrium.

Contribute to the Mitzvah Mall Archives:

Share Memories and Materials So Others May Benefit From Our Experience

Phtot Album Team Tzedek is collecting all photos, memories, agendas and handouts from past Mitzvah Malls to use for a Power Point we will be creating to share with Temples and other organizations that would like to create similar programs.  If you have anything you would like to share, please send it to Mitzvah Mall Archivist Florette Lynn at faygel@optonline.net.
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